Apparatus for treating photographic films.



J. C. WRIGHT.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING 'PHOTOGRAPHIC FILMS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.12. 1915.

Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

JOHN CLINTON WRIGHT, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR TREATING IPHOTOGRAIPHIC FILMS.

Speciflcation of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 12, 1915. Serial No. 20,855.

had to the accompanying drawings.

My inventidn relates to photographic apparatus, and particularly toapparatus for treating photographic films. l

The primary object of my'inventi'on is the provision of means forsupporting a film in connection with a bath tray either for developingor fixing the film, and providing means for carrying the film into thebath tray and out again, this means keeping the film in a suspendedposition so that every portion of the film will be subjected to thebath.

A further object of my invention is the provision of means adapted tosupport the ordinary photographic tray, and also pro- .vided with abelt, bands, or other flexible connection adapted to be connected to afilm, and so connected to a winding drum or roller that as the drum orroller is wound up the film will be passed from one end to the otherthrough the bath.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a film supportingmember of the character above described, so constructed that the partsmay be readily disassembled and folded up into compact form for readytransportation.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my film treatlng mechanism, the basebeing in section; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end elevation; Fig. 3 is asection on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to these figures, 2 designates a base which is provided at itsopposite ends with the pulleys or rollers 3 and 4. This base has an areasufficient to support upon it a tray or tank 5 adapted to contain afixing or developing solution. Extending upward from the base 2 atopposite ends thereof, are

I the uprights 6 which are provided at their upper ends with rollers orpulleys 7 and 7. Mounted upon one of these uprights by means of hingedbrackets ,8 is a winding drum or roller 9.

Extending upward on the inside face of one of the uprights 6 and overthe roller or pulley 7 is a cord, belt, or other flexible connection 10,which, at one end, is adapted to be attached to a film clip 11. Thisband 10 passesover the roller 7 and thence downward on the exterior faceof the corresponding upright 6, and passes over a roller 3. Thence theband passes beneath the hollow base to and over the roller 4 and thenceupward, and around the winding drum 9. A flexlble connection 10*? passesfrom the drum 9 upward and over the roller 7, the extremity of this bandbeing also provided with a clip or other film engaging means, designated12. Preferably the ends of the film 13 are held by means of clips, theclips being provided each with ,a perforation through which hooks 14 areengaged.

Preferably, and in order to provide for the disassembling of the partsand provide for the parts being folded into compact form, I make theuprights 6 in two sections,

these sections being connected by a hinged joint .6, and I also form thelower end of the lower section with downwardly projecting prongs or pins15 which may be inserted in suitable perforations 16 made in the base,these perforations being disposed on each side of the rollers 4:. Thebase is cut away at 17 so as to permit the passage of the flexibleconnection 10 beneath the rollers 4 and between the face of the baseplate. The face is mounted on feet 2 to support the rollers in spacedrelation to the table.

While I do not wish to limit myself to any specific manner of supportingthe winding roller 9, I preferably hinge the brackets 8 to thecorresponding upright 6, each of these brackets being formed with aperforation for the passage of a winding shaft 19. This shaft 19 issplit for a portion of its length, as at 20, and provided with thetransverse pin 23 and with a crank handle whereby the shaft may berotated. The winding drum 9 has a central passage to accommodate theshaft 19, and is also formed with the transversely extending pin 21,which is received Patented Nov. 2, 1915.

in the kerf or slot 22 in the shaft. After the shaft is inserted inplace in the perforation of the brackets 8, the pin 23 is passed throughthe shaft holding the drum firmly in place,

\Vhile I do not wish to limit myself to the use of any specific formofflexible element, I preferably use a thin ribbon of tape about a quarterof an inch wide.

The operation of my invention will be obvious from the abovedescription. The ends of the film are connected to the clips 11 and 12.The winding drum 9 is then rotated in one direction so that one end ofthe film, that for instance engaged by the clip 11, will be disposedabove the bath. The winding drum is then rotated so as to lower this endof the film into-the bath and then raise it from the bath. By acontinuous motion of the winding drum the film is lowered into the bath,carried through the bath and again raised, and then by reversing therotation of the winding drum the film may be again carried into the bathand therethrough-and then raised out of it.

it will. also be obvious that the film may be carried through the bathin either direction any number oftimes, and that a very uniform motionor speed may be maintained so that every portion of the film will besubmitted to an equal action of the bath. Thus one portion of the filmwill not be left in. the bath any longer than any other portion.Furthermore, the film may be kept in the best possible condition for useand prevented from becoming ,foided. The same apparatus may be used foreither developing the film, fixing the film, or giving it the washingnecessary between the developing or fixing operations by simply removingor placing the tray.

It is obvious that my invention may be modified in many ways withoutdeparting from the principle thereof, and that it is very simple, andthat it is effective for the purpose intended.

While I have illustrated a winding drum 9 upon which the flexibleconnection is wound, it-will of course be understood that other meansfor securing a reciprocation of the flexible connection might be usedand that I do not wish to limit myself to winding thefiexible connectionaround thedrum.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for treating photohaving at its ends means forengagin a film, and means for shiftingv the flexlble' connection in onedirection or the other to thereby carry the film supported thereby inone direction or the other through said receptacle. f

2. In 'a device for treating photographic films, a base adapted tosupport a bath receptacle, said base having a transversely extendingpassage, uprights mounted upon the base, rollers mounted upon saiduprights, a winding drum operatively supported with relation to thebase, rollers disposed upon the base at the end of the passage, and aband engaged by said winding drum passing beneath the rollers in thebase and through said passage and then extending upward over rollers atthe upper end of the uprights, and means carried at the ends of the bandfor detachably engaging a film.

3. A device for treating photographic films comprising atray supportingbase, and means mounted upon the base for detachably engaging theopposite ends of a film and drawing said film back and forth through abath supported upon said base 4:. A device for treating photographic Ifilms comprising a bath tray supporting base, and means mounted upon thebase for detachably engaging the opposite ends of a film and drawingsaid film back and forth through the bath supported upon said base, saidmeans including a flexible connection to which the ends of the film areconnected detachably, and means having Q-St winding engagement with theflexible con nection for operating it.

5. A device for treating photographic films comprising a base adapted tosupport a bath tray, uprights mounted upon the base, a flexibleconnection passing over said uprights and across the base, means mounted upon one of the uprights for giving a reciprocating movement to theflexible connection, and film engaging clips detachably mounted upon theends of the flexible connection. v

6. A device for treating photographic films comprising a base adapted tosupport i a bath tray, uprights detachably mounted upon, the base,rollers mounted upon the upper ends of the uprights, supporting armshingedly mounted upon one of said uprights, a winding the said arms, adetachable'shaft passing through the arms and through the drum, rollersmounted upon the base, and a flexible connection passing over saidwinding drum,

one end of the connection passing over one of the first-namedrollers,the other end being passed beneath the rollers on the base, thenupward over the roller carried on the uprights, and then downward, saidflexible connection having means on its extremities for engagement withthe film.

7. A device for treating photographic drum disposed between I 1,158,6167 as films comprising a base adapted to support a bath tray, uprightsformed of hinged sections detachably mounted upon the base, a

flexible connection passing over said uprights and across the base,means detach ably mounted upon one of said uprights for thereto and filmengaging means carried by the ends of the flexible connection.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

" JOHN CLINTON WRIGHT.

Witnesses:

NORMAN H. Foor, THOMAS A. Wnm.

